Use SparkLoop to build a newsletter referral program

You can use SparkLoop to create a referral program for your EmailOctopus newsletter.

Connect SparkLoop to Emailoctopus

When you sign up for SparkLoop, you'll need to select the email platform you use. Choose EmailOctopus from the list displayed on your screen, then connect your SparkLoop account to your EmailOctopus account.

To do it, paste your EmailOctopus API key and click Save & Continue. You can create an API key here or enter one you previously created if you saved it at the time of creation.

Create your SparkLoop profile

Create your profile for your newsletter publication on SparkLoop. Select the EmailOctopus contact list you want to use from the dropdown. You won't be able to change this later, so make sure you select the right list.

Once you select your list and click Save & Continue, your list will be imported to your SparkLoop account. Depending on your list size, this might take up to 30 minutes.

During the import, SparkLoop will automatically create custom fields in your EmailOctopus account, like here:

To finish creating the profile, enter details about your audience and your social profiles. This helps SparkLoop connect you with potential partner newsletters and partners.

Next, select the options that best describe your ideal reader from those presented.

Once done, review your profile details and activate it.

Create your referral program

Under the Referral program tab within your SparkLoop account, click Set up referral program.

You'll be taken to the Onboarding Checklist screen in your SparkLoop account. Go through each step to complete the setup. The first step, Set a custom referral link domain is optional, so we'll continue to the next one (you can complete it by following the instructions on your screen).

Generate referral links

Import existing contacts from your EmailOctopus account. This can be done by clicking Show me how to do it and Start import.

Add rewards

Create a reward to incentivise your subscribers to share your newsletter with friends. Add your reward name, description, number of referrals, and image.

When setting it up, select the appropriate fulfilment option and pick Send an automated email via EmailOctopus in Step 2. Save and activate it.

Set up reward fulfilment

Whenever a subscriber wins a reward for referring new contacts, they should get it delivered automatically. You can create an automation within your EmailOctopus account to set it up.

To do it, go back to the reward you created in the previous step (Referral Programs > Rewards) and click Open advanced options. Copy the Reward ID as shown below.

Go to your EmailOctopus account and create a new automation (Automations > Create). Select the Contact field updated as a trigger, choose RH_LASTREWARD as the field and paste the Reward ID as the value. Click Save & close.

Add a Send email step to your automation and set up an email that will be sent as soon as someone wins the reward. Remember to include the reward itself in it (or instructions on how to redeem it). Read this article for more information on how to set up an automation.

Check your subscribers have referral links

All your subscribers should now have a custom referral link assigned to them in the RH_REFLINK custom field.

To check if it's the case, go to your Segments tab. Create a segment based on the RH_REFLINK field, selecting the is not blank operator. The number of contacts that match this segment should be the same as the total number of contacts on your list.

If it's not the case, go through the SparkLoop import process again or wait a bit longer. Feel free to contact SparkLoop's support in case there's a big discrepancy there.

Referral link destination

Choose the URL where your subscribers' referral links will point to. This can be your landing page or a website with a sign-up form.

Install the tracking script*

Click Show me how to do it and follow the instructions on your screen (there are a few guides on how to add the script to some of the more popular website builders). Once you've installed the script, you'll need to verify it by clicking the Verify installation button.

*If you want to use an EmailOctopus landing page, you need to add the SparkLoop referral tracking ID to your landing page's settings. To do it, access your landing page, and click Settings in the left-hand menu:

Then scroll all the way down and paste the team ID from the script generated by SparkLoop:

Make sure to click Publish to save this change.

Create your email referral section

Click the Design your referral section button to create a section that you'll include in your campaigns and automations. Once you're done, click on HTML and copy the code to your clipboard.

Go to your EmailOctopus template, add a Code content block and paste the referral section code into it. Don't worry if you see some exposed conditional merge tags – it's intended. Your recipients won't see them.

Add an intro email

To make sure that your recipients are aware of your referral program, it's a good idea to include some information about it in your automated onboarding sequence. You can add an automated email a few days/weeks after the initial welcome email.

You can also send a campaign to your existing subscribers to announce your referral program – make sure to include the email referral section you created in the previous step.

Add a first referral email

You can set up an automated email that will be sent as soon as a subscriber makes their first referral. To do it, create an automation with a Contact field updated trigger based on the RH_TOTREF field and set the value to 1.

Then, add an email to congratulate your subscriber on their first referral.

For more information on the technical aspects of this integration, read SparkLoop's documentation or reach out to their support team.